7 February, Monday – God in the centre of our lives

Monday of Week 5 in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 8:1-7,9-13
Mk 6:53-56

“Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest!”

Today’s readings are a reminder for each one of us to set aside the space and time for God to be with us in our lives. Too often, we live in a world which demands our constant attention. There is a need for us to place God in the centre of our lives.

The first reading sees the dedication of the temple of Jerusalem, which would become the focal point of religious worship for the kingdom of Israel. It allowed them to establish themselves as kingdom with a proper place and institution of worship. In some ways, I do agree that there is a need for a proper place of worship for people. Setting space aside from the world allows us to discover and reconnect with God. However, what happens if places of worship are made to close just as what we saw at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020? It is then that we can tap on the journey towards the interior. This allows us to discover the way the believers of the early church lived.

In the absence of brick and mortar places, individuals gathered in their houses — which became a small place of worship. The intimate support and encouragement offered by each individual allowed the believer to continue with their life. I admit that during the period of lockdown, I had the opportunity to read the Bible more frequently and had the chance to discover God in Sacred Scripture. This definitely allowed me to draw myself closer to God and to follow through with encouraging those around me.

As we continue into the third year of the pandemic, there might be some of us who dread going out for fear of the virus. I believe that it is necessary for us to return to public worship and have the opportunity to experience the Sacraments. This will strengthen us in our mission as Christians to spread the Word of God to all around us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I pray for the spirit of courage to continue our work of spreading your message.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the missionaries in the world.